Bargaining for more financial aid?

Paying for College
1

<p>So I applied to my first choice early decision, and was thankfully accepted. Here's the problem:
I was accepted with a 13k merit scholarship, but I qualify for their 15k merit scholarship that also includes a competition for 40 people to receive an addition 10k. The tuition is about $50k a year, and with the merit aid they've given me-if I don't get substantial need based then there is no way I will be able to afford to attend. Unfortunately, I don't find out how much need based aid I will get until after the deadline for sending in my $500 enrollment deposit. </p>

<p>I've been contacted by numerous other schools offering me full tuition all the way up to a full ride [We've even gotten them to put it in writing], if I decided to attend. Is there any way I would be able to use these offers to bargain for more financial aid? I am well aware that my application to attend my first choice was binding, but we legitimately cannot afford it otherwise and so will have to request ourselves to be released from the agreement.</p>

2

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<p>First you have to get out of your ED acceptance. At this point you should have withdrawn all other applications. My understanding is that the only schools you could consider are your own instate public universities...not other private schools.</p>

<p>If you wanted to compare financial aid offers between private schools, you should NOT have applied ED. And while you didn't know your final cost with your aid, you DID know the cost of the school. Does your school meet full need? Will you be getting additional need based aid? And if so, when. Call the school and ask.</p>

3

<p>Actually, if you have a dispute about your ED award, you can put off withdrawing your other apps. There are risks to this, as your name is going to be circulated on the ED list, and if other colleges catch wind of this,they may drop you from consideration. So time is of the essence. You need to talk to financial aid at your ED school very quickly and get your award. Did you not know that you would have to pay the deposit before getting your financial aid numbers? I have not heard of such thing before. Usually, the ED awards come with an estimated financial aid award. You absolutely need to get this info , and may have to pay that $500 to get it, if the admissions materials say that this is the sequence of events for this school. If you cannot reach an agreement with the school and cannot swing the cost, you need to get out of your ED acceptance and then inform all of your other schools of that fact so that you don't get dropped.</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
I've been contacted by numerous other schools offering me full tuition all the way up to a full ride [We've even gotten them to put it in writing], if I decided to attend. Is there any way I would be able to use these offers to bargain for more financial aid? I am well aware that my application to attend my first choice was binding, but we legitimately cannot afford it otherwise and so will have to request ourselves to be released from the agreement.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>If you submit your offers from other schools, then your ED school will have every right to inform those schools as well as your high school that you accepted and committed to attend in exchange for an early decision (when you send in your other offers in writing, you will be opening the door that would allow Rollins to contact them).</p>

<p>you applied EDI with the folloing deadlines:</p>

<p>Round I</p>

<p>Deadline: November 15
Notification Date: December 15
Enrollment Deposit Due: January 15 </p>

<p>The deadline for the Dean's Scholarship at Rollins is well after the the deadline to send in your intention to enroll since it is clearly stated in their flyer (see attached), you and your family will have to make the decision or should have made the decision without even factoring in the Dean's scholarship (if you get it, then it is gravy). IF the Dean's scholarship was a major consideration in determining whether or not you/your family could afford this school, why didn't you apply ED II or preferably RD?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rollins.edu/finaid/documents/2008-09MeritScholarships.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rollins.edu/finaid/documents/2008-09MeritScholarships.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>the school states that

[quote]
Early Decision candidates applying for need-based aid must complete an
Early Decision Financial Aid Estimator, mailed to all Early Decision applicants
when the admission application is submitted.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think the school was pretty straight forward, when you and your parents signed the ED agreement, which states:</p>

<p>
[quote]
The Rollins Early Decision program is for students who have decided to make Rollins their first choice. Two rounds of Early Decision are offered. Students
who wish to be considered for Early Decision Round I must have a completed application on file by November 15. </p>

<p>Those students who would prefer Early
Decision Round II must have a completed application on file by January 15. Admission decisions are mailed two to four weeks after the application deadlines.
We strongly recommend you consider Early Decision if Rollins is your first-choice college. </p>

<p>Students accepted under the Early Decision program will have several advantages:</p>

<p>• Notification of the admission decision by mid-December (Round I) or early February (Round II)
• Priority in merit scholarship and financial aid consideration</p>

<p>Once accepted, Early Decision candidates are expected to submit a $500 non-refundable deposit and withdraw applications to other colleges.</p>

<p>IF YOU ARE APPLYING AS AN EARLY DECISION CANDIDATE, PLEASE READ AND SIGN THE FOLLOWING:</p>

<p>Rollins College is my first-choice college, and I would like to be considered for Early Decision admission. Since Rollins is my first choice, I will withdraw
any applications to other colleges and enroll at Rollins if I am accepted under this program.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rollins.edu/admission/admission_and_financial_aid/admission/PDF/RC-EarlyDecAgreeForm-09L.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.rollins.edu/admission/admission_and_financial_aid/admission/PDF/RC-EarlyDecAgreeForm-09L.pdf&lt;/a>

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Can the school make you attend a college that you cannot afford? Absolutely not. Can the school share their ED list with other schools letting them and your high school know that you did not honor your ED commitment? Yep</p>

5

<p>I think there's a huge misunderstanding here. That's the only school I applied to, the other offers were completely unexpected and came out of the woodworks. I applied to none of those schools.</p>

<p>For Rollins, if you do not apply ED then you cannot considered for a merit scholarship period. There is really no need to talk in a condescending matter. If you aren't going to be helpful, what's the point of posting?</p>

6

<p>If you've just been contacted "out of the blue" and did not apply to any other schools, then you don't have any true offers. They're merely solicitations to apply to those schools and you "may" qualify for these scholarships, just as you may be qualified for the other scholarships at Rollins. However, merely qualifying for the scholarships does not mean you will be awarded them. Rollins determined that, despite your qualifications, you would not be awarded the larger scholarship. That is within their right. (I am assuming that this is not the kind of scholarship that says it "will" be awarded to all applicants who qualify, like an NMF scholarship.)</p>

<p>That being said, there is no harm in contacting Rollins and trying to negotiate. I would, however, advise that you wait until you get your need-based aid award and see what you really need. The worst they can do is say no.</p>